Description of the Prior Art
Small light weight, walk behind snow throwers having a transverse impeller are well known in the art. Speiser et al U.S. Pat. No. 3,359,661 which issued on Dec. 26, 1967 discloses one such snow thrower which includes a two-bladed impeller which directs snow upwardly along a rear wall and through a plurality of open front vanes. The vanes are adjustable for deflecting the snow to the right, left, or forward relative to the path of movement of the snow thrower. This patent discloses a rigid handle bar assembly having upper and lower transverse grip portions.
Chase U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,138,829; 4,138,830; and 4,138,831 which issued on Feb. 13, 1979 disclose similar snow throwers but with a generally rectangular chute having its front closed by a wall adjacent the upper end thereof. A two paddle impeller directs snow through the chute for selective discharge to the right or left by adjustable vanes within the chute. These Chase patents disclose two U-shaped handle bars with one handle bar rigidly secured to the base of the snow thrower and having a transverse portion bent over the engine housing while a second U-shaped handle bar is secured to and projects upwardly from the lower handle bars. The upper handle bar is mounted for pivotal movement downwardly and to the rear of the snow thrower when the snow thrower is to be stored.
A third apparently unpatented snow thrower is known which includes a U-shaped upper handle with a transverse grip portion and a lower transverse grip that is integrally formed with the engine housing and has a width which will accommodate only one hand of the operator. The upper handle is apparently adjustable in height but is non-foldable.
French Pat. No. 927,323 which was published on Oct. 27, 1947 is also pertinent in that it discloses a transversely oriented driven impeller which guides snow along an arcuate portion of a back plate which then curves upwardly and forwardly to direct the snow through a chute having transversely adjustable vanes therein, which vanes discharge the snow to the right or to the left of the path of movement of the snow thrower.